What is the Knesset? Israel's parliament explained

Background

The name "Knesset" (כְּנֶסֶת) is the modern Hebrew word for assembly. It derives from the Knesset HaGedolah — the Great Assembly of ancient Judea — a deliberate historical echo chosen by the founders of the state.

Israel's first Knesset convened on 14 February 1949, three weeks after the first national elections. The number 120 mirrors the traditional size of the Great Assembly, and that number has never changed.

The Knesset operates under the Basic Law: The Knesset (1958), one of thirteen Basic Laws that collectively function as Israel's constitutional framework in the absence of a formal, codified constitution.

How members are elected

All 120 seats are filled through a single national constituency using a closed-list proportional representation system. Voters choose a party, not an individual candidate. Each party that clears the electoral threshold — currently 3.25% of valid votes — receives seats in proportion to its vote share.

The 3.25% threshold was raised from 2% in 2014. At that level, a party needs roughly 140,000 votes to enter the Knesset.

The 25th Knesset contains 11 parties across the political spectrum, ranging from far-right nationalist parties to Arab-majority parties.

Parties publish their ranked candidate lists before the election. If a party wins 10 seats, the top 10 candidates on its list enter the Knesset. Voters have no say over internal party rankings.

Powers and functions

The Knesset's main functions are:

• Legislation. Passing ordinary laws by simple majority. Amending Basic Laws typically requires an absolute majority (61 of 120 members), and some provisions require larger majorities.
• Budget approval. The state budget must pass within 45 days of the fiscal year's start. Failure to pass a budget automatically triggers new elections — a mechanism that has been invoked several times.
• Oversight. Knesset committees scrutinise government ministries. Question time and committee hearings allow members to hold ministers accountable.
• Forming a government. After an election, the President tasks the MK most likely to command a majority with forming a coalition. The government must win a vote of confidence to take office.
• Dissolving itself. The Knesset can vote to dissolve early, triggering new elections.

Coalition governments

Because no party has ever won 61 or more seats outright, every Israeli government has been a coalition — a partnership of multiple parties that together control a majority of seats.

Coalition negotiations typically take weeks to months. Parties extract policy commitments, ministerial portfolios, and budget allocations in exchange for their support. Coalition agreements are signed documents and carry significant political weight.

The fragility of coalitions is a defining feature of Israeli politics. Coalition partners can withdraw support at any time, collapsing the government. Israel has held five elections between 2019 and 2022 — an unusual run of political instability driven largely by the difficulty of assembling a stable majority.

The opposition

MKs who are not part of the governing coalition form the opposition. The leader of the largest opposition party holds the formal title of Leader of the Opposition and receives additional resources and speaking time.

Key facts

• Location: The Knesset building, Givat Ram, Jerusalem (opened 1966)
• Session schedule: The Knesset sits in two sessions per year — a winter session (October to March) and a summer session (May to July)
• Committees: 15 standing committees covering areas from finance to foreign affairs
• Immunity: MKs enjoy parliamentary immunity from prosecution for votes cast and statements made in the Knesset

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Primary source: Basic Law: The Knesset (1958), as amended. Data: Central Elections Committee.